adminGeophrey Sifani, Sports Reporter
THE Matabeleland Swimming Board (MSB) has named a 56-member provincial squad for the Zimbabwe Senior Swimming Championships to be held at the Bulawayo City Pool from February 18-22.
The championships will feature provincial teams from Masvingo, Mashonaland West, Manicaland, Harare and Midlands.
MSB press and liaison officer Joseph Gliwitzki said the selected swimmers will continue training with their respective clubs until they converge at a central venue to fine-tune preparations just before the competition begins.
“After training with their clubs, we’re going to ask one club to avail their pool to us for squad training.
The championships are always interesting as every swimmer will be trying to break an exisiting record,” said Gliwitzki.
“The City Pool has not been functional, but we’ve spoken to the city fathers, who said they would sort it out for us to use for championships.”
Tiles started peeling off at the pool hardly two weeks after the hosting of the Africa Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games in the city.
In October last year, Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane raised concern over shoddy construction work done at several facilities, including the City Pool, that played host to the Games and called for an audit on the returns on the investment the government had made.
The national championships will be contested in different age groups ranging from Under-12s up to the Under-17s.
Brendon Cyprianos will captain the boys’ team while Courtney McAllister will lead the girls’ side.
Matabeleland swimming squad
Under-12 boys: Cory Werrett, Alex Van Wyk, Courtney de Preez, Dylan Lee, Codie Selman, Garrick Duff, Jayden de Swardt
Under-12 girls: Danika Bruce, Hannah Evans, Arianna Androuliakis, Caitlyn Cummings, Timea Schultz, Hailey Banda, Erin Bent, Shannon Cooke, Neziah Kinnaird, Munashe Bera, Onye Onovo
Under-14 Boys: Denilson Cyprianos, Joash McKonie, Tyrel Cooke, Ben Sheasby, Jake oostindien, Farhaan May, Tait Mills
Under-14 girls: Savannah de Preez, Wandile Banda, Sancia Bravo, Jamie Van Wyk, Lashay Green, Riana Rollo, Aisha Mahomed, Lindi Bhebe, Wendy Mpofu
Under-16 boys: Dale Bruce Travis Rainford, Trei Simon, Liam O’Hara, Grant Smith, Jordan Smith, Quintin Tayali, Roan Isemonger, Lavarn Jones
Under-16 girls: Jessica McAllister, Maryke Koen, Dudu Mswabuki, Whitney Meares
Under-17 boys: Brendon Cyprianos, Mmelwa Netsha, Andrew Cherry, Luke Van Breda, Keanu Van Biljon, Tristin Knight, Ashby Tink
Under-17 girls: Avalon Bruce, Courtney McAllister
Coaches: Allan Bruce, Di Stirling
Team managers: Jackie Oostindien, Joseph Gliwitzki
Online Reporter